Alex Pereira is not one for bombast. He’s not much of a braggart. He doesn’t actively denigrate his foes.
All he does is struggle higher than just about any human of his dimension in the historical past of sanctioned fight sports activities.
Already a two-division champion by the time he descended upon Washington last week in advance of Sunday night time’s UFC Freedom 250 spectacle on the South Lawn of the White House, Pereira was poised to become the first in UFC historical past to problem for gold in a third weight class. Forget successful for a second; nobody had even tried to make this type of historical past.
Conor McGregor never did it, rising glad with success not lengthy after including a light-weight crown to his featherweight belt practically 10 years in the past at Madison Square Garden.
Alex Pereira of Brazil walks to the Octagon in the UFC interim heavyweight championship struggle during the UFC Freedom 250 occasion on the South Lawn at the White House on June 14, 2026 in Washington, DC. Zuffa LLC
Ilia Topuria, who on Sunday sought to unify the light-weight championship against interim champion Justin Gaethje, just may one day observe Islam Makhachev up to welterweight in a bid to add it to his belt assortment. For now, he’s merely a two-division king after beforehand reigning at featherweight.
Pereira, who’s not even reached the five-year mark in the UFC, already has middleweight and gentle heavyweight gold to his title, matching in MMA what he’d achieved in the realm of elite kickboxing. He sized out each weight class, and heavyweight is his ultimate frontier.
Unlike McGregor and Topuria, whose time as champions is not recognized for a excessive degree of exercise, Pereira’s workmanlike strategy to defending his crown made it more of a mandate that he transfer on to larger and higher issues.
“I think everything that I’ve been doing gave me enough credentials to fight for this third belt,” Pereira instructed The Post through an interpreter in the leadup to the occasion.
Say what you will about the interim championship that was up for grabs between Pereira and Ciryl Gane at the residence of President Trump, but UFC gold is UFC gold. The title was created with heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall still sidelined by the extremely damaging double eye pokes he absorbed from Gane in their October no-contest. Couple that with some potential contractual disagreements between Aspinall and the UFC, and it’s conceivable that the interim title gets upgraded to undisputed standing before lengthy.
(L-R) Ciryl Gane of France strikes Alex Pereira of Brazil in the UFC interim heavyweight championship struggle during the UFC Freedom 250 occasion on the South Lawn at the White House. Zuffa LLC
The interim title bout was the only one on the seven-fight docket between a pair of males not native to this nation, though the Brazilian holds this land pricey to him. Pereira has planted roots in Connecticut, coaching at the gymnasium of his countryman and former UFC gentle heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira. His youngsters are rising up here and communicate the language, although he has been sluggish to decide up English himself.
The prospect of one day changing into a citizen of the U.S. appeals to him. “I’ve had so many opportunities here. I’ve been able to accomplish so many things here,” Pereira said. “As I like to say, America is the land of opportunity; I’ve had a lot of opportunity here.”
Sunday provided perhaps the biggest alternative of his profession, one that figured to introduce his very fan-friendly type to a complete new viewers. The fights at the White House have crossed over from the typical main UFC occasion into the realm of crossover curiosity.
Alex Pereira walks out prior to his struggle against Ciryl Gane (not pictured) during UFC Freedom 250 at White House South Lawn. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Pereira’s charisma extends beyond his fingers of stone — the translation of his nickname “Poatan” in the Tupi language spoken by indigenous peoples of Brazil. From his native warrior-inspired walkout — punctuated by miming the launch of an arrow at his opponent — to embracing how much he resembles an Easter Island statue, he’s simple to get behind. Hollywood took discover, too, casting him in a key position in the upcoming motion thriller “Onslaught.”
Just don’t expect Pereira to “go Hollywood.” He’s a fighter to the core, one who had designs on being as energetic a heavyweight champion as the UFC has ever seen. The bar is low, given that it’s the least-frequently defended belt of them all.
Win or lose Sunday night time, get used to seeing more of Pereira. He’s constructed for the UFC’s greatest stage in the nation’s capital. He’s constructed for the films. He’s constructed to last with an unparalleled legacy after humble worldwide beginnings.
Does it get more American than that?
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